Pro-Palestine protesters shut down Bay Bridge heading into San Francisco

In Boston, about 100 protesters stopped traffic on the bridge connecting the city to Cambridge for more than two hours.

SET LATER THIS MONTH. WE ALSO RIGHT NOW CONTINUE TO FOLLOW DEVELOPING NEWS OUT OF SAN FRANCISCO. PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS BLOCKING TRAFFIC, SHUTTING DOWN THE BAY BRIDGE TODAY. THE ARAB RESOURCE AND ORGANIZING CENTER POSTING THAT IT IS BEHIND THIS BLOCKAGE. THE GROUP DEMANDING A CEASE FIRE AND CALLING OUT PRESIDENT BIDEN TO DO MORE FOR PALESTINIANS. CHP SAYS PROTESTERS WERE IMPACTING TRAFFIC AND BLOCKING EMERGENCY VEHICLES AND EVEN SOME CHAINED THEMSELVES TOGETHER. OFFICIALS ARE NOW WORKING TO TOW VEHICLES THAT WERE ABANDONED BY PROTESTERS TO CLEAR THE ROADS SO THEY CAN REOPEN THE BRIDGE. BUT THAT IS PROVING TO BE DIFFICULT AS PEOPLE ABANDONED THEIR CARS AND THREW THEIR KEYS INTO THE BAY. CHP SAYS AT LEAST 50 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED. THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO GO UP. WE’VE BEEN VIDEOTAPING AND WE’VE BEEN WATCHING INDIVIDUALS. AND SO ANYONE WHO IS ARRESTED, IT WILL BE BECAUSE THEY WERE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN THE PROTEST THAT WE HAD EYES ON THEM AND THAT WE’VE IDENTIFIED THEM AS AN ACTIVE PROTESTER, DISRUPTING TRAFFIC. CHP SAYS THE DEMONSTRATION DID

Demonstrators seeking a cease-fire in Gaza blocked bridges on both sides of the U.S. on Thursday, including a major span into San Francisco during a global trade summit involving President Joe Biden and other world leaders.Eighty protesters were arrested on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and 29 vehicles were towed after demonstrators blocked all lanes on the upper deck, with some drivers tossing their keys into the bay. One person was booked into county jail but the others were cited and released, the San Francisco's Emergency Operations Center said in an email.Traffic was snarled for hours after more than 200 demonstrators demanded that Biden, in San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ conference, call for an immediate cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas.In Boston, about 100 protesters stopped traffic on the bridge connecting the city to Cambridge for more than two hours during the morning rush. They chanted “cease-fire now!” and held a banner with the words “Jews say: ceasefire now" and they called on one of Massachusetts' two senators, Democrat Elizabeth Warren, to do more to halt the hostilities.On the West Coast, Aisha Nizar, of the Palestinian Youth Movement, said in a statement that President Biden was “hosting cocktail parties in San Francisco” while thousands of people were being killed in Gaza. Protesters unfurled huge banners and some of them lay on the ground with white sheets draped over their bodies as part of a “die-in.”California Highway Patrol division chief Ezery Beauchamp called the Bay Area protest highly coordinated. He said the patrol supports free speech rights but not a traffic shutdown that could prevent emergency vehicles from crossing.“This is the wrong way to do it,” he said. “This is 100% wrong, it’s unacceptable and it’s illegal.”Demonstrations over the war are becoming more disruptive across the U.S. Protesters calling for a cease-fire clashed with police Wednesday outside Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Democratic representatives and candidates were inside for a reception.The protests came as Israeli forces dropped leaflets warning Palestinians to flee parts of southern Gaza, residents said Thursday, signaling a possible expansion of the Israeli offensive following Hamas-led attacks in Israel on Oct. 7.___Associated Press writer David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.Follow coverage of more top California stories here. | Download our app for the latest updates on breaking news.

Demonstrators seeking a cease-fire in Gaza blocked bridges on both sides of the U.S. on Thursday, including a major span into San Francisco during a global trade summit involving President Joe Biden and other world leaders. Eighty protesters were arrested on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and 29 vehicles were towed after demonstrators blocked all lanes on the upper deck, with some drivers tossing their keys into the bay. One person was booked into county jail but the others were cited and released, the San Francisco's Emergency Operations Center said in an email. Traffic was snarled for hours after more than 200 demonstrators demanded that Biden, in San Francisco for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ conference, call for an immediate cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hamas. In Boston, about 100 protesters stopped traffic on the bridge connecting the city to Cambridge for more than two hours during the morning rush. They chanted “cease-fire now!” and held a banner with the words “Jews say: ceasefire now" and they called on one of Massachusetts' two senators, Democrat Elizabeth Warren, to do more to halt the hostilities. On the West Coast, Aisha Nizar, of the Palestinian Youth Movement, said in a statement that President Biden was “hosting cocktail parties in San Francisco” while thousands of people were being killed in Gaza. Protesters unfurled huge banners and some of them lay on the ground with white sheets draped over their bodies as part of a “die-in.” California Highway Patrol division chief Ezery Beauchamp called the Bay Area protest highly coordinated. He said the patrol supports free speech rights but not a traffic shutdown that could prevent emergency vehicles from crossing. “This is the wrong way to do it,” he said. “This is 100% wrong, it’s unacceptable and it’s illegal.” College professor arrested in death of Jewish demonstrator in Southern California Demonstrations over the war are becoming more disruptive across the U.S. Protesters calling for a cease-fire clashed with police Wednesday outside Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Democratic representatives and candidates were inside for a reception. The protests came as Israeli forces dropped leaflets warning Palestinians to flee parts of southern Gaza, residents said Thursday, signaling a possible expansion of the Israeli offensive following Hamas-led attacks in Israel on Oct. 7. Associated Press writer David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report. Follow coverage of more top California stories here. | Download our app for the latest updates on breaking news.